It's Just a Dream
by scorpioryo
Summary: Ryo's been going through a lot lately, and his painful dreams of the past don't help him... but are they really just of the past? And they're just harmless nightmares... right?


**It's Just a Dream**

**I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or anything else that people might have heard of before they read this, including movies, songs, other television shows, and anything else. Constructive criticism is accepted and very much appreciated! This story was inspired by the book Fahrenheit 451, as well as R.E.M.'s song, Losing My Religion, and I don't own either of them. There won't be very many relations, but they were the final nudge for this story to take flight. This is rated T due to language and violence. People of the internet, you have been warned. Enjoy!**

* * *

"No," the British boy begged, "Please, don't do it!" Ryo was in his own apartment. He as well as his home was soaked in gasoline. His heart pounded as he stared at the frightening monster that was also drenched in the flammable liquid.

"Why should I," Bakura challenged, "no one cares whether you live or not." The dagger of truth squared Ryo's sensitive and dying heart. He could feel tears race down his face. His yami was right.

"You only serve as a reminder to what _I _did to everyone while I stayed in your body," the yami pressed, "you're nothing but an unimportant, empty shell!" His face twisted as a wicked grin spread across it while he watched his helpless hikari fall to his knees. Ryo was only staring up at Bakura, his expression shocked and horrified. His yami pulled out a box of matches, and the hikari could only watch as Bakura scrapped a small, thin stick along the one of the narrow sides of the box, creating a small yet beautiful flame.

"Don't do it," Ryo whispered. If Bakura had heard him, he showed no sign that he did as he dropped the match. Ryo's heart stopped as the flaming sick touched the fuel-drenched floor…

Ryo gasped as he sat up in his bed. He ran his hand over the back of his neck. He was soaking wet, but from his own sweat instead of gasoline. He sighed with relief as he fell back.

"It was just a dream," he whispered, "It was just a dream." The young British hikari was having nightmares of his sadistic yami returning for a few months now, even though he was now a sophomore in collage, and the evil spirit was crushed by the pharaoh when he was a senior in high school. One night he dreamt that Yugi and the others were slaughtered in their own homes, and another night the city was engulfed by a terrorizing flame, and Bakura was the cause of all of these tragedies. But what did Ryo do? Nothing. All he could do was watch, just like any other time his yami preformed a terrible deed.

Even though it was only a dream, Ryo could still feel Bakura's words pierce his gentle heart. _You only serve as a reminder to what I did… _Was it true? Did everyone who seemed like his friends only acted like that so his feelings weren't shattered?

Ryo twisted his body around so he was lying on his left side, trying to go back to sleep, but with no progress. He couldn't get the image of dying in a fire out of his mind. In fact, he swore that he could smell the fuel still in his apartment, just begging to meet this thing called fire…

Ryo yawned as he tried to listen to his professor's lecture about the lesson they were on, but he could barely _see _the teacher, let alone _listen _to him. Not being able to sleep soundly at night had caused Ryo to miss one or two classes, and even though his teachers told him that they weren't big lessons and that he can just get the notes online, the hikari still couldn't believe that he was slacking. However, it wasn't the fact that he could just barely keep up with his classes that made him worry, it was the thought that Bakura was still in control of his life, even though they've been permanently separated.

Ryo's hand shook as he tried to write down a few key points. It took him a few seconds to notice that his professor had stopped talking, and he lifted his head to see that everyone in the room was staring at him with concerned or worried looks, as well as a few giggles from people behind him.

"…Ryo," the teacher called, "Ryo!" The student slowly turned his head and looked at him. After a few seconds of silence, the teacher spoke: "Are you okay? You look sick, boy." Ryo shook his head.

"I've just been having a hard time sleeping," he replied. It wasn't a lie; he was having a tough time resting. He just didn't want to admit _what _was _causing _his sleepless nights. He was already at the bottom of the social bar, and if any of the other students learned that he couldn't sleep because of nightmares, they'd find a way to make him sink even lower.

When the teacher didn't look convinced, Ryo smiled.

"Really," he pressed.

"Fine," the teacher said, "if you're not going to tell me, go tell your councilor." Ryo froze.

"But there's nothing wrong with me," Ryo protested.

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately, Ryo," his professor pressed, "you need to talk to _somebody. _It doesn't have to be the councilor, but if you're as fine as you claim to be, then the sky is constantly green, and clouds are purple!" Ryo gave in, and nodded. When he heard snickering spreading throughout the room, he realized that he had just had a parent-like talk right in front of his class. He placed his elbow on the desk, and he rested his head on his hand with a hopeless look on his face.

When the class was dismissed for the day, Ryo had received many rude comments while he was on his way to his car, and finally leaving the campus.

"What's wrong? Is Teddy not enough to protect you from the monster in your closet?"

"You still believe in the boogie man? I'd almost bet money that you still write letters to Santa as well!"

"Scared of the dark, Ryo?"

Each comment pierced and shattered Ryo's already broken heart. If only they knew of all of the torment that he had gone trough over the years.

When he finally reached his car in the parking lot, he pressed the unlock button on his keys, and pulled on the handle on the driver's door. When it opened, he slipped in, shut the door, stuck the keys into the ignition, and backed out of the parking space. As he drove home, his hands shook, but it because of another tragedy in his past that had nothing to do with Bakura; his precious twin sister, Amane, and their mother both died in a car crash shortly after Ryo transferred to Domino High a few years ago. He didn't have any problems since he had gotten his license, but the thought still lingered in his mind…

Ryo jumped when he heard a beep come from the front of his car. He looked at the gas needle, and saw that it was just barely over the large E. As he drove into the nearest gas station, realization and the memory of his nightmare returned. In order to fuel a car, you need gasolinerea Gasoline is flammable. Fire can kill innocent people. Somehow, Ryo was able to stop the car next to the pump without a problem, but his body was completely numb with fear as he got out and walked towards it. His hand shook as he placed the gas hose into the opening to the car's tank. The smell only reminded him more of his terrible dream. The smelly liquid, the matches, the insane man attempting to blow the building into the sky, and then back down to hell…

Ryo was awakened from his imagination's spell when he heard someone yell out his last name.

"What are you doing here," it growled as it walked up from behind, "Yami destroyed you _years ago. _How were you able to return here?!" Bakura's words spun around in Ryo's head again. He really was right. They didn't care about him. Not at all. Whenever they see him, the first one they think about when they see his long white hair was Bakura instead of the original owner of the body.

"Hello Yugi," Ryo sighed without turning around, "so it really is true. I no longer exist in this world."

"Damn straight," the tri-colored-haired agreed, "but you still didn't answer my question; how did you survive and make your way here?!" Ryo ignored Yugi's question.

"Even though it was my evil half that was destroyed," Ryo continued as he turned around to face the other hikari, "no one remembers _me._" He tried to hold back his tears, but he could feel his eyes begin to water. The anger in Yugi's purple eyes were quickly replaced by surprise.

"Oh, gosh, Bakur- I mean, Ryo," Yugi apologized, "I'm so sorry. I heard you went to coll-" He tried to change the subject so they could get to know each other again, but Ryo turned away and pulled the hose out of his car tank. He forcefully slammed the hood over the tank and pushed the hose back into place, and then he walked over to get back into his car.

"Ryo, wait," Yugi shouted, "I'm sorry. I really am!" He ran up to the driver's window. As much as he would have wanted to, Ryo couldn't bring himself to hit Yugi with his car. Instead he rolled down the window.

"I'm sorry, Ryo," Yugi repeated, "I feel bad. I should have known it was you, it's just-"

"'Sorry' doesn't end the torment I still go through," Ryo muttered, "if you could please move away from my car, I need to get going."

"And go where," Yugi challenged, "go home and just mope around? No way am I going to let you do that! Why don't you come with us to see a movie-" Ryo stepped on the go pedal, and Yugi jumped away as Ryo drove away, clearly not interested in taking up on his offer.

Ryo felt upset and empty for the whole dive back to his apartment. When he walked into his home, he threw down his leather school suitcase onto the cream-colored sofa and slipped off his white sneakers. He gazed around his living room before making his way into the bathroom to wash his face.

He studied his reflection in the mirror, which, no matter how much it was uncomfortable, looked almost too much like Bakura. The only noticeable differences were that his hair wasn't as wild as his yami's, and, in Ryo's opinion, his eyes weren't filled with the same cruelty and madness that were burnt in Bakura's.

Ryo pulled out the velvet-colored washcloth from one of the drawers and then wet it with warm water from the sink's faucet. He closed his eyes as he rubbed cloth over his face. He looked up as he set the cloth over the faucet to dry, and looked into the mirror. He was horrified to see a shadow behind him. A shadow he thought had finally left him two years ago. Before Ryo had the chance to yell, Bakura slapped his hand over his hikari's mouth, and then used his other arm to immobilize the innocent collage student by crossing it over his chest.

"Now, now," the yami hissed, "if I let you go, then that could spell trouble for me." Ryo struggled to free himself, but Bakura had a firm grip on him.

Bakura lifted his hand off of his hikari's mouth, and then jerked his jaw forward so he looked into the mirror, and he didn't let go as he put his own face close to Ryo's. A twisted smile grew across his face.

"Look how much you've grown," Bakura whispered, "if someone didn't know any better, they could mistake us for twins."

"Damn you," Ryo cursed, "Damn you to bloody hell!"

"In fact," his yami went on, ignoring him, "anyone could mistake you for me… or me for you."

* * *

Yugi walked up to Ryo's apartment room. He still felt terrible about how he treated his old friend, especially after what he must have gone through with his yami, and after talking with Grandpa, Yugi decided to come and make sure Ryo made it home safely. Unlike Ryo and Bakura, Yugi and Yami were very good friends, and Yugi still sometimes missed the nosey pharaoh peek over his history test, and whisper in his ear how they _really _did things in Ancient Egypt, or when he would suddenly switch control with his hikari when he didn't want to deal with the current situation. Shaking those thoughts out of his mind, Yugi knocked on the door.

He stepped back as someone with white hair opened the door.

"Hi, Ryo," Yugi greeted, "may I please come in?" The other boy nodded, and stepped back as he invited his friend inside, and he shut the door behind him.

"Nice place, Ryo," Yugi said as he walked in. When his friend didn't answer, he turned around to look at his friend, who was still standing by the door.

"You're not still mad at me about earlier, are you," Yugi frowned, "I truly am sorry. Really." Ryo still didn't answer, but before Yugi say anything else, his friend started laughing, and an evil grin spread across his face.

"Ryo," Yugi called in a panic, "are you okay?"

"Ryo," a gruff voice asked, "sorry, but you've got the wrong person." Yugi studied him more closely, and then he clapped his hand over his mouth. When he had the strength to pull it away, Yugi asked: "W-where's Ryo? What did you do to him?!" Bakura laughed, amused that Yugi would care more about the other hikari then his own life.

"Him," Bakura replied, "just look over there." The yami pointed into the living room, and when Yugi looked that way, he froze in fear.

Ryo's body was lying sideways on his couch so he was facing outward. His eyes were half closed, and he had cuts and bruises everywhere, as well as a bloody nose. All of the nice, clean furniture Ryo worked so hard on was now stained with his own blood, as well as the carpet and lampshades. Yugi sighed with relief when he saw one of Ryo's fingers twitch, indicating that he was still alive, but he was still seriously hurt.

Before Yugi could go over and help his friend, Bakura ran up from behind and held a knife over his throat. Yugi could see Ryo begin to look up, but he couldn't move to help his friend.

"Please," he heard Ryo murmur, "Oh, please be just another dream! Please!" Bakura began to laugh, an evil look on his face. Now that Yugi saw these two next to each other, he wondered how he could possibly mix the two of them up. They didn't look or act anything like the other.

"Sorry, Ryo," Bakura snickered, "but this isn't another one of your pathetic nightmares!" He lifted the knife, and before the blade gushed out his blood from his broken skin, Yugi shouted:

"Ryo, I'm sor-"

* * *

**A/N: Well, if you ever wondered what Bakura would do if he somehow came back after two years after the ceremonial duel, now you know! :3 SMEXY!!! Anyway, please leave a comment and let me know what you think! FYI… if you happen to be ireneotaku, I don't want to get any comment saying that it was too short or if any of the story structure was weird! Very damaging to my imaginary self-esteem, y'know. **


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